Find a Club
Search
Close this search box.

March Madness – Be Part of a Winning Team!

Recently – while scrolling through my Facebook feed – I came upon a clip from Geno Auriemma – the coach of the Women’s Basketball Team at UCONN (University of Connecticut) –The Huskies.  The UConn Huskies are the most successful women’s basketball program in the nation, having won a record 11 NCAA Division I National Championships.

Watch this clip – it’s just 2 minutes and 38 seconds –and the impact is profound.

Coach Auriemma teaches us lessons that he’s learned as a coach.  Here are a few highlights:

  • Be Enthusiastic – be “all in”.  In Toastmasters – that means attend meetings, volunteer to support contests, reach out to support your fellow Toastmasters.  Seek opportunities to bring your enthusiasm for Toastmasters outside of the club.
  • Be Upbeat – Look on the “bright side” – bring a smile to your world.  It’s a choice you make every moment. Looking out at your audience- isn’t it reassuring to see a smiling upbeat face looking back?  Whether doing your Ice Breaker or the final speech for your DTM- remember how important seeing a smiling, supportive and upbeat audience is.
  • Be Appreciative – Show appreciation for your fellow members, the Toastmaster experience, and embrace the impact you have on the world around you.
  • Remember the impact of Body Language!  Your body is speaking – all the time.  Remember the impact you have – at your club meeting when a guest walks in.  You never know who is observing you and the impact you have.

 

And finally – Do The Right Thing!  At your club meetings, in your mentoring relationships, as the Toastmaster leader you are – always remember the Toastmaster Values – Integrity/Respect/Service and Excellence.  Let’s all be part of a winning team!

 

Cindy Laatsch, DTM ✉
District Director
District 35

 

Nominations Open for District 35 Toastmaster of the Year!

As this Toastmaster year gains momentum  – I’d like everyone to take a few moments to think about the Toastmaster of the Year Award for District 35.

This awesome award recognizes one Toastmaster whose dedication, commitment and efforts significantly contributed toward achieving the District Mission.

Please review the District Toastmaster of the Year Checklist.  Please use this checklist as a guide to offer your nomination for the District 35 Toastmaster of the Year.

Please submit your nomination for the District 35 Toastmaster of the Year by Wednesday, April 5, 2017 to Cindy Laatsch, District Director cindy.laatsch@yahoo.com.

Use the attachment as a guide as you make your nomination.   You may use the form as it is written to submit your choices, or send a nomination (no longer that 300 words) – and why you have selected this individual as the District 35 Toastmaster of the Year.

 

Cindy Laatsch, DTM ✉
District Director
District 35

How are you doing with your goal?

At the beginning of the year, I challenged each of you to pick a goal … just one goal … that you want to achieve this Toastmaster year. So, how are you doing with your goal?

  • 240 members have achieved at least one educational award this year. That is a goal worth celebrating.
  • 24 members have achieved the Triple Crown this year (3 educational awards). A tip of the hat to them. They have achieved an impressive goal.
  • 38 clubs have achieved 5 or more goals in the Distinguished Club Program (DCP) and have 20+ active members or net growth of 5+ members. These are the requirements to be considered a Distinguished Club. These clubs should be proud of achieving this goal (although dues payments may still be outstanding in some cases).

Are you falling short of the goal you set? Don’t panic or give up! The good news is that there are still three months remaining to meet your goal. The wonderful thing about Toastmasters is that we are filled with people that take joy in helping you achieve personal growth. Talk to your club officers or area director about a plan to achieve your goal for this year.

Visualize yourself scoring the winning gooooooooooal!

 

Keith Cumiskey, DTM ✉
Program Quality Director

 

Club Coaching: From A Club’s Perspective

I thought I would spend a few moments to talk about the Club Coach program, but from a little different perspective.  One of my clubs is using the Club Coach program for a second time currently, having used Coaches when the club initially took over the charter of another club that was folding.

We are again tracking towards success as we are approaching the requirements for earning recognition as a Distinguished Club.  In reflecting upon both of the coaching experiences I have noticed a few similarities.

Have two club coaches if possible.  Two coaches may be assigned to one Toastmasters club requesting a coach.  This will be beneficial in that the club should have at least one of the Club Coaches present at each meeting to observe the meeting and provide beneficial feedback.  This may be difficult to do in some geographical areas; in these instances, I would suggest reaching out to District leaders and other trusted Toastmasters for additional guidance.

Have coaches who have different strengths.  In our initial coaching assignment, we had coaches who had very different personalities and both kept clubs motivated.  One coach was very task oriented and kept us on track with our plans to become a Distinguished Club.  The other was good at being a cheerleader and reminding us of all of the things we were doing well as a club.  Our current coaches also complement each other well – one is very involved in the personal coaching of some of our members to help them improve while the other uses their experience to provide good general evaluations of what we are doing well and suggestions to improve upon.

Let the club choose their own path.  While we have been provided quite a number of suggestions on how we could improve or change the operations of our club, we have never felt the pressure to do things in a certain way.  The club leadership evaluates the suggestions provided and takes appropriate action based upon the club’s culture.  This had led to overall improvement while maintaining the club’s identity.

If your club is struggling with less than 12 members, I highly recommend looking into the Club Coaching program to help you get back on track.  You will gain the wisdom of an experienced Toastmaster and appreciate the club’s accomplishments when you reach new goals.   Please contact our Club Coach Chair, Kathleen Rader, or myself for assistance.

 

Ed Thelen, DTM ✉
Club Growth Director

 

Best Website, Social Media and Newsletter Contests

Back by popular demand, the best website, social media and newsletter contests are now under way. All applications are due no later than April 5 at 5 p.m. to District PRM Christine Piela at ChristineAPiela@gmail.com.

Good luck!

Christine Piela, CC ALB
District PR Manager

 

Toastmasters Branding

Whether updating your club website, newsletter, fliers or social media, it is very important to follow all Toastmasters branding guidelines. Because Toastmasters is a trusted international organization, it is to your advantage to be visually aligned with them. Luckily for us, Toastmasters International provides countless resources to help:

If you have questions regarding your branding, please feel free to reach out to Toastmasters directly at brand@toastmasters.org.

Happy branding!

 

Christine Piela, CC ALB
District PR Manager

 

District 35 Spring Convention

May 5th – 7th
Hotel Marshfield, Marshfield, WI.

 

Be sure to mark your calendar and register!

 

Come enjoy the District Table Topics Contest to start our convention with a bang Friday night.  Our most talented contestants from each of our eight geographic divisions from across the state will vie for the Division Table Topics Champion title.

Then get ready to kick up your heels for a good ol’ fashioned sock hop featuring the

Gray Catz!  Enjoy this old-time rock and roll band from central Wisconsin, with our very own fellow toastmaster, Jeff Ebel.

Check ‘em out and “Like” their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/GrayCatz/

Dance moves a little out of practice?  No worries!  Our King and Queen of Hospitality, the very talented Rae and Charlie Stevens of Stevens Point Toastmasters club #570, will teach us a move or two in a fun and interactive dance lesson to kick off the festivities.

AND…don your leather jackets and poodle skirts (and other 50’s themed apparel) for the sock hop costume contest!  *costumes are not required to attend*      

And that’s just Friday night!

District 35’s Spring Convention offers you and your guests fun, fellowship, hospitality,  networking and exceptional learning opportunities in true Toastmaster tradition.

Come join us in Marshfield, WI on May 5, 6 & 7.  You won’t want to miss it!

Find more info and Register Here

Paula Houlihan, ACS ALB
Convention Chair
District 35 N2 Area Director

Getting the Band Back Together

Toastmasters is all about trying new things, stepping outside your comfort zone and testing your own perceptions.  What can you do when you’re no longer terrified of speaking in front of 100 people, or putting together a cohesive Toastmasters meeting?

Last week, I learned how to play bass, wrote a song with three strangers, and performed it in a bar, all in two days.

It was a blast.

I don’t remember piano lessons being this fun.  But not only did it give me yet something else I want to pursue — being in a band — writing a whole song and performing with brand new friends all helped me reexamine some of what I thought about group dynamics and leadership.  It felt a lot like my growth in Toastmasters!

I was incredibly lucky. My band was great.  (Just like in Toastmasters, where I often find myself in amazing teams!)  My guitarist knew what she was doing, my drummer was enthusiastic, and our vocalist was only occasionally hesitant to jump right into song creation.  We had agreement of purpose.  We were basically locked into a small room with instruments for a few hours over a couple days.  And we had really supportive people there helping us learn our instruments, figure out songwriting and helping us get over some bumps along the way.  It was the best of all possible worlds when it comes to productivity by committee.

Not all bands were so incredibly lucky.  A couple people in one of the bands occasionally let loose with what might have been not the most supportive instructions when things got rough.  With another band, there was a bit of conflict over how to sculpt the song – and that conflict resolution took about half the time they had to create.  I know none of us would have been productive at all without the “coaching staff” that helped us with our instruments and were great sounding boards.  These are all components I learned from Toastmasters, and these are all components I work with to improve communication and productivity as a leader.

  • Clarity of vision:  We all wanted to create a song. We had a shared passion.  We put the rest of our lives on hold for all of two days.  It was the perfect storm; we had a shared goal. In real life, other projects might get in the way, or schedules don’t mesh.  It means that maybe the timeline has to compensate for an imperfect schedule, or maybe additional help needs to be recruited if the first wave of volunteers can’t commit to the timeframe.
  • Power through roadblocks: Communicate concerns, compromise, and move forward:  I don’t like part of the rhythm? Let it go.  The vocalist did an amazing job of smoothing out the meter into the music.  Emphasize the positive contributions.  When necessary, revisit the common goal.
  • Have resources:  We had instrument courses, coaches, and basic information about music.  Clubs, areas and divisions have directors, officers, and even previous directors and officers, as well as the Toastmasters International site.  And Google.  Reach out for information.  I know I don’t know everything but I know people who know a big chunk of a section of everything.  Let me put you in touch.
  • Sit down and focus:  Turn off the phone.  Don’t text.  Don’t depend on email.  Sometimes the best way to get work done is to sit together and pound it out.  We all multitask and double book, but by sitting down in a place where we can dedicate our discussion to answering questions, we can define and solve problems, clarify confusion and save a lot of missed opportunities by sharing ideas.  Conference calls and emails are great if you’re all familiar with what’s going on, but in the beginning, sitting down and talking, face to face, helps really get ideas across.  Nonverbal and facial communication helps convey when more information may be needed, or if some instructions were missed.   Touching base in person is an important investment in both the project and in the working relationship.
  • Back up and confirm:  We used huge sticky paper to brainstorm and write down lyrics, so we had the obvious visual track of what we had agreed on so far. With projects, email after a discussion to make sure points weren’t missed or instructions are accurate.
  • Have fun:  Enjoy meeting your new partners and learning new things.  Revel in your successes.  Appreciate the absurdity when that happens.  You cannot be tense or cranky if you’re having fun.   Pizza helps with area counsels and lyrics marathons.

These are building blocks whether you’re building a rock song or developing an educational event, and that’s why Toastmasters is a great place to practice.

In June, I’ll have to really gear back up: we’re getting the band back together and playing one of the summer music events.  They let me keep a bass to practice. I better keep working on it.  Skills get rusty when they’re not used.

Theresa Flynn, DTM
Division D Director

About

Resources

Events

Connect

The information on this website is for the sole use of Toastmasters’ members, for Toastmasters business only. It is not to be used for solicitation and distribution of non-Toastmasters material or information.

Copyright © 2024 All Rights Reserved